At first glance Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer is regular DDR3-1600 SDRAM. However, as soon as you install it into your system and power on, you immediately understand how wrong your first impression was. It not only glows during work, but also comes with special system monitoring software.

The formal specifications of the Crucial BL2KIT25664ST1608OB kit look as follows:

Dual-channel memory kit of two 2GB modules;

1600 MHz nominal frequency;

8-8-8-24-1T timings;

1.65 V voltage.

The manufacturer states that all modules are tested in AMD and Intel platforms and can be used in any configurations.

The modules have XMP profiles with the information about three supported operational modes recorded in them:

DDR3-1600 with 8-8-8-24 timings;

DDR3-1400 with 7-7-7-21 timings;

DDR3-1200 with 6-6-6-18 timings.

The SPD of the modules reviewed today is filled out to ensure that they will be compatible with the mainboards and therefore specifies Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer as DDR3-1333 modules with 9-9-9-27 timings.

LexarMedia Company, which ships Crucial branded memory modules belongs to one of the largest memory chips manufacturers out there – the Micron Company. Therefore, it is not surprising at all than any Crucial modules use Micron memory chips. This is one of the reasons why these modules have not very high frequencies – it is only a DDR-1600 kit. Unfortunately, Micron chips cannot boast the same frequency potential, as Elpida or Powerchip chips, for instance. You can come across these chips in high-speed overclocker memory kits. As for Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer specifically, you will find Micron D9KPT chips under their heat-spreaders. Memory built with these chips will usually overclock to substantial frequencies only after you significantly increase the voltage, which is not recommended on Intel platforms.

Micron D9KPT chips and LEDs with a controller are not the only components hiding beneath the Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer heat-spreaders. This DDR3-1600 SDRAM has another nice unique feature, which will definitely please many overclockers out there. These memory modules have built-in thermal diodes. It means that this particular memory allows monitoring its thermal state using pretty standard utilities.

First of all, this program allows browsing through the memory settings in the system:

Second, it allows monitoring the modules temperature. This can be done via primary utility interface or via a compact desktop widget:

Third, Ballistix MOD Utility also offers special tools for adjusting the LEDs modes on Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer modules. You can change their color (the modules use two-color diodes), brightness (or turn them off completely) and select one of the four blinking patterns for the top LEDs.

I have to say that LED settings will be saved and will remain on without relaunching the management utility even after powering the system off and back on.

You can learn more about the Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer LEDs from the following video available on YouTube.com.

As for us, it is time to check out how well Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer modules can overclock.